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“Oh, that’s lovely. You’re always so generous with the baked goods. And quite a talent too.” She still couldn’t drag her assessing gaze from Lars as she held out the notebook before her. “I don’t mean to interrupt but I wanted to show you the sketch I made of the—” she dropped her voice to a whisper “—you-know-what we saw the other night.”
Mireio glanced to Lars, who, no doubt, had figured what the woman was talking about, but he didn’t show that he had.
“Lars, was it?” Mrs. Henderson asked him. She tilted her head, taking him in with a discerning gaze. “Have we met before? You seem very familiar.”
“Never,” Mireio blurt out. “I mean, we’ve only just met, so of course you’ve never seen him here or in my yard before. Let me see what you’ve drawn, Mrs. Henderson. It’s okay. I mentioned the, uh, incident to Lars. So he’s in on it.”
“Oh?” The woman’s eyes brightened, pleased to have another conspirator present. “She told you about the Sasquatch?”
“That she did.” He leaned his elbows onto his knees, giving her his full attention. “You must have been frightened something fierce.”
“Who me? Oh, gosh, no. I may have been initially surprised to see such a big, ugly, hulking beast tromping through my prized tulips, but that didn’t stop me from getting a very good look at the monster.”
Lars’s jaw tensed. It was a good thing he wasn’t holding the glass of lemonade because Mireio guessed his clenched fingers might have sent shards flying.
Mrs. Henderson laid the notebook down on the table and Mireio turned it so both she and Lars could look at the—quite talented—sketch of what looked similar to an ape-like man with long hairy fingers and a hunched back and shoulders. The head was all wrong, not matching the werewolf’s actual wolf head and long toothy maw, but instead more resembling a man with large ears and a flat monkeylike snout.
“Remarkable,” Mireio said with a secret glance and smile to Lars.
“Is it how you remembered the beast too?” Mrs. Henderson asked eagerly. “I intend to bring this sketch in to the police, but I’m still not so sure I got the nose right.”
“Oh. Well...” Mireio shrugged. “I didn’t get a very good look at it. I had initially thought it was a moose...but I’m sure what you’ve drawn here is very close.”
“But you said it stopped and stared at you for a moment. Surely you must have seen details? Did you look into its big glowing yellow eyes?”
Mireio met Lars’s lift of his brows. He was smirking now, thank the goddess. He obviously understood there was no fear of him being found out with such a drastically wrong drawing, no matter who the woman showed it to.
“Maybe a little longer,” she said, tapping the nose. “And did you get the tail?”
“The tail?” Mrs. Henderson picked up the sketch and studied it. “I’m not sure I remember...oh. Sure. A tail. Of course, Sasquatches have tails.”
“Do they?” Lars asked.
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Henderson replied with knowing authority. “I’ll have to add that. Thank you, Mireio. Oh.” She placed a hand on Lars’s shoulder. “Will you be around more often? To, you know, keep an eye on our sweet Mireio?”
“Uh...”
“I think I hear the oven timer for the last loaf of bread,” Mireio interrupted. “We’ll talk later, Mrs. Henderson. Lars, would you help me bring in the dishes?”
“It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Henderson,” he offered as he dutifully and quickly followed Mireio’s escape route into the kitchen.
The two of them watched out the window until Mrs. Henderson had turned the corner at the back of the house, then they both started laughing.
“That was the most awful rendition of—” she made air quotes “—‘the monster,’ I’ve seen. You don’t look anything like that.”
“Yes, I’m relieved. Must be interesting having that woman living next door, eh?”
“Never a dull moment.” She opened the oven door, which emitted a whoosh of delicious bread scent.
“Mmm, now that scent will lead me back to your door over and over.”
“Good,” she said decisively. “Because I like you, Lars. I’m glad you had the courage to approach me last night. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow night? More like an official date? Because right now I have to go change and head in to work.”
“I’d like that. Ah, but tomorrow night won’t work. I won’t be able to find a...” He winced, pausing to think his words through. “I have a previous engagement. It’s not with another woman. Just something I can’t get out of. How about this Saturday?”
Two days away. “Saturday works for me. But you’ll have to pick me up at the brewery because I have the early shift.”
“It’s a date.”
“Great! Let me wrap up a loaf of bread for you to take along.” She pulled out some brown paper she kept for wrapping baked goods, and with a few folds and tucks fitted it perfectly about a warm loaf and handed it to him.
He took the gift and then glanced to the front door. Back to her. He rubbed a hand along his thigh. “Yes, I suppose I should leave. Thank you for lunch. It was really good.”
“It wasn’t that great. But you’re a guy. Usually guys like any food that’s been made for them that isn’t a TV dinner.”
“So you’ve seen the inside of my freezer?”
He smiled, and she fell into that pretty white gleam of his. He had no idea the impact those pearly whites had on her. And was she blushing? Parts of her suddenly felt very hot.
“Uh. Right. Then I suppose I should go.” He turned, but didn’t walk to the front door.
So Mireio stepped up before him, sensing what he couldn’t say or do. And finding it sweetly endearing. “Did you want to kiss me before you leave?”
He nodded. Eagerly, but with a sheepish shrug. “I wasn’t sure it would be okay.”
The guy had scored one simply by being a sweet, uncomfortable lunk of shy. Mireio crooked her finger, gesturing that he should bow down, and when he got close enough to kiss, she met his lips with hers.
His mouth was not tentative, finding its place against hers with a surety and the promise of more confidence than his speech gave. He didn’t open her mouth, but he lingered, and the pressure of him against her worked a delicious tingle in her core. Mmm, now that was a very not-shy kiss.
When they parted, his eyes darted back and forth between hers. Then his dimples dented his cheeks and his smile caught up. “Saturday can’t come fast enough.” He kissed her quickly, and then turned to leave.
Standing on the threshold and watching his long strides out to his pickup truck, Mireio touched her lips and whispered a blessing for the fact she’d not been a stuck-up witch last night and had decided to talk to the man.
“Good call,” she said to herself. “May the witch and the werewolf get along. At the very least, have some fun.”
* * *
Well past the midnight hour, Mireio startled from her sleep and cried out. She sat up, seeking in the darkness for a creature—with fangs. Heartbeat thundering, she pressed a palm to her chest and, realizing she’d had another nightmare, breathed deeply in and out to calm her fears.
It was always the same. The vampire stood before her holding a bloody heart that dripped onto the toes of her white shoes, forever staining her memories of a younger, more innocent time.
She hadn’t had a nightmare in over a year, but the fact it had returned now disturbed her. She had to perform the immortality spell. But if so focused on preparing for the spell, could she then also concentrate on dating the shy but sexy werewolf?
“Am I doing the right thing?” she whispered into the night.
No one answered. Which was a good thing. That meant she was alone. No creepy vampire anywhere near her. Yet the only way to ensure she was safe from vampires was to rip the heart out of one of them and consume its blood.
She dropped back into the pillows and closed her eyes tightly.
Chapter 4
Saturday evening Lars stopped into the brewery. Mireio was ready to go, waiting for him by the door. She bounced on her high heels and her short multiruffled purple skirt caught his eye. And dangling near that skirt was the black fish purse. The woman was a character. And she was going out with him tonight.
He was the luckiest guy in the world.
Mireio waved goodbye to a woman behind the bar with dark hair and a calm, knowing smile, whom Lars waved to, as well. He hadn’t been introduced, but did know Valor Hearst, who also worked here. She and Sunday, his pack leader’s wife, were friends, so Valor popped up at the compound once in a while. They always chatted bees for a while when she did so.
“Where are we going tonight?” Mireio asked as she joined him and slipped her hand into his.
Momentarily captivated by the warm slender hand in his, Lars took a few seconds to answer. It actually took a squeeze from her hand to lure him back to what she’d asked.
“Uh, where? There’s a new place in Tangle Lake. Supposed to be fancy and the scenery is pretty cool. You like a steak house?”
“Sure. I like all food. Your hand is so big and—” she turned it over to inspect as they strolled toward the parking lot “—rough. You must do a lot of physical labor.”
“I’ve cleared out some fallen oaks from the forest near my place, so I’ve been chopping and stacking wood for winter fires. As well as doing some repair work on the plank path that leads to the outhouse.”
“I need to see that outhouse one of these days. I can’t imagine having to walk outside to get to the bathroom.”
“I’m sure your bathroom with the big tub puts my little outhouse to shame.”
“Oh, I’m sure it does.” She skipped a few steps up to the charcoal gray truck. “This is yours? You men and your big trucks. You’re going to have to boost me up for this one.”
He opened the passenger door for her and held her hand as she stepped onto the lower step. Even then she had to stretch up a leg, and...he put a hand to her hip to guide her. He wanted to give a shove to that sweet little derriere, but that might be too forward. He was the kind of guy who would never manhandle a woman. Unless she’d given him permission to do so. And then he would enjoy touching her with abandon.
“I’m in!” she announced with a clap. “Let’s do this!”
Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Lars rounded the front of the truck and hopped inside and started the engine. “How’s business tonight?”
“It’s a Saturday,” she said as he drove out of the lot. “Comedy night.”
“Really? Like stand-up?”
“Yes, and tonight is locals only. It’s a big hit. There are some ridiculously hilarious people living in Anoka.”
“You like music?” he asked, turning on the radio low.
“I love the oldies stuff like the ’80s tunes.”
“I think I know the station for you.” He turned the dial to an ’80s hit station, one of his favorites too, despite having missed the era because he’d been born in the late ’80s. Culture Club was playing and Mireio gave him a thumbs-up.
“Did you eat all the bread I sent home with you?” she asked.
“Most of it. Had sandwiches for lunch, with enough left for a French toast breakfast tomorrow. You make great bread.”
“You’ll have to stop by when I’m in a cupcake-baking mood.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Temptation is my thing, don’t you know?”
He waggled his brows at her.
She giggled. “You’re starting to loosen up around me. You were pretty shy initially.”
He shrugged as he turned onto the freeway that would take them to their destination. “You’re just so pretty. I admit I’m intimidated by most women. You’re all so...tiny.”
“That is understandable, coming from a big beast of a man. How tall are you?”
“Six and a half feet? Something like that.”
“Good thing I like wearing heels. Oh! I love this song!”
Adam Ant’s “Desperate But Not Serious” started playing and Lars turned it up. He would never consider himself desperate for a woman. But would he like to get serious with one? Hell yes. And Mireio Malory seemed a very good option.
* * *
The view was gorgeous, as promised. They sat on a patio situated about thirty feet from the lakeshore. The sun settled above the jagged line of pines across the lake, casting pink and silver shimmers on the water and the night air was surprisingly warm for spring. A fountain nestled in the center of the small lake burbled and a pair of white swans floated close by. Fortunately it was too early in the season for mosquitoes.
The brown butter shrimp with Gouda grits was excellent. The red wine sweet and not too dry. And the man sharing shy glances with her was slowly moving up to broadcasting more confidence in his brown eyes.
Mireio had never dated a man who wasn’t in her face and always dropping innuendos about them doing it. Sure, she had dated a few who were polite, but none so sweetly masculine and devastatingly charming as this guy. A werewolf? She’d dated witches, faeries and once even a demon. But a wolf was new to her, and she was excited about the possibilities of learning more about this sweetie.
“I lost the muskie after that struggle,” Lars said, ending his tale about ice fishing without an ice house or a line in the middle of what had turned into an ice storm.
“Do wolves have a greater affinity for cold weather?” she wondered.
“Yes, we can handle the Minnesota winters well. But I do like to bundle up when I know a storm is headed our way. That one took me by surprise. Froze my beard something fierce.”
“Ha! I hope you had someone to help you defrost it with snuggly kisses.”
He shrugged, that bashful move that endeared her to his big, awkward appeal. “I was out with the guys. We never mix fishing and women. You ladies just don’t get it.”
“Oh, I think Valor is into ice fishing. But there are times I wonder if she’s more a guy than a girl. I don’t think I’d like to lie on the ice and dip my hand in the cold waters in hopes a fish will find me of interest,” she said. Which was exactly how Lars had explained they’d done it. “I admit the winter bothers me. I need a big thick sweater to keep from constantly shivering. I prefer spring and summer. And warmth.”
“Your tail would freeze in the winter,” he said with a wink.
“Which tail are you talking about?” she asked teasingly.
“Both?”
“Ha!” She tilted her wine goblet to his and he met it with a tink. “To breezy summers and warm winter nights. And while we’re at it, let’s toss in a long life of immortal dreams.”
“Immortal dreams?”
She shrugged. “It’s a witch thing. Just a spell I’ve had on my mind lately. Anyway, back to the fishing. I certainly hope to never get hooked by a fisherman anytime soon.”
“Is that so?”
“He’d rip my tail. And besides, we mermaids would never be caught swimming in any of Minnesota’s ten thousand icy lakes.”
“What sort of bait do you think would attract a mermaid?”
She leaned across the table and the small heat from the candle warmed her cheek. “Kindness and a sexy shy smile.”
And there it was again! Those dimples were mermaid bait for sure. But to think about it, she’d hooked him. And this was one catch she wasn’t eager to toss back.
The waitress stopped by with the bill and Lars dug out his wallet from a back pocket and handed her his credit card.
“So what do you like to do for fun?” he asked. “I’ve already marked ice fishing off the potential date list.”
“I don’t have to be entertained in any wild or elaborate fashion. A movie. A book club. Dancing, or even just sitting in a park. I’m a chick who can find fun in most anything.”
“I get that. You’re what they call one of those eclectic women,” he said with a wink. “Your bright hair and frilly clothes tell me that.”
“How else is a girl supposed to dress?”
“You won’t hear me complaining. But what’s with the purse?”
She lifted her purse. A cool find on Etsy, crafted from black suede in layers that emulated a fish with scales. “Mermaid, remember?”
“Right. Let me guess... You’re the chick at the summer festivals with the flowers in your hair, dancing in the mud with bare feet and not a care?”
“You got it.”
“I think I’m the guy always standing off to the side, wondering if that beautiful blossom of a chick will ever notice him.”
She placed her hand over his. “I have noticed you, Lars. And I think you’re pretty cool. I’ll get you in daisies and bare feet before the summer is out. Promise.”
“I’d actually wear daisies for you. So why don’t we...” He paused, staring off over the lake with the swans floating by.
The pause was...quite long. “Lars?”
“Huh? Oh. Sorry, lost my train of thought. What were we talking about?”
Daisies and flirtation. “Nothing much.” But it was time to move it up to the next level. “Now do you know what I want to do?”
“What?”
“You said you live close?”
“About ten miles north.”
“Then I want to see this mysterious outhouse with the modern plumbing.”
He smirked and collected his credit card as the waitress swung by with it. But instead of dimples, he rubbed his jaw, with a wince. “I’m not sure. I have to make a stop on the way home, actually...”
“Am I being too forward? I’m not suggesting anything. I mean, am I? Maybe? If you’re not ready to take me home with you, just for chatting, I get that. You’re a guy who works more slowly than most.”
“Not at all. I can do fast. I’m very fast. I mean...” He swiped his fingers over his beard in what Mireio was learning was a nervous gesture. “I want to spend more time with you tonight, Mireio. I just, uh...well...” A heavy sigh surprised her. “You’ll need to know sooner rather than later. Guess now’s as good a time as any.”
“That sounds absolutely mysterious. But I’m in. Let’s go!”
Ten minutes later, they drove up the long driveway to the Northern Pack compound, which was where Lars had to make a stop. It wasn’t like a big military compound, which Mireio had expected, but rather a white plantation-style home with a massive tin-sided building out back that housed all kinds of building materials and lots of junk.
“So none of the pack members live here except Dean and Sunday?”
“Nope. We all live in the area, though. Packs used to share close living conditions, but you know, it’s the twenty-first century. We like our privacy as much as we like the family we get from being in the pack.” He parked before the house and swung around to open the door.
Just when she thought to step down, he lifted her and swung her out, setting her down carefully until she could get a sure footing with her heels on the gravel drive. How many times had a man helped her in and out of a vehicle? Exactly twice. Both of those times had been tonight. She could get used to this kind of chivalry.
“Shall we?” He offered his hand and that pushed her over the edge and into a giddy swoon.
She clasped his hand and beamed as he led her toward the front door, which opened to reveal a waving Sunday. The chick sported long, white-blond hair and was built like Valor—straight—and she seemed accustomed to hanging out in jeans and greasy T-shirts as opposed to frills and lace. She was a cat-shifting familiar, married to Dean Maverick, a werewolf and the pack principal.
“Hey, Lars!” A shout from near the storage building drew their attention to Dean standing near a huge steel beam he held at a diagonal, one end of it digging into the ground. “Come give me a hand!”
“Be right back,” Lars said. “Uh, you know Sunday?”
“We’ve met once,” Sunday confirmed.
Lars winked at Mireio. “This won’t take a minute!”
“Hey, Mireio.” Sunday gestured she come inside and held the screen door open for her. “I didn’t know you and Lars were a thing.”
She entered the house, which was dimly lit. The sun had set, and the soft kitchen lights gleamed on the white marble kitchen counter and copper toaster.
“Lars and I just started seeing one another. First official date tonight. Oh!” She spied a munchkin sitting in a baby seat on the kitchen table and her maternal instincts rushed her to check it out. “Who is this little sweetie? Can I hold him?”
“Sure, I just fed him. We call him Peanut.”
Mireio picked up the warm bundle of blue fleece and baby softness and he nuzzled against her chest. The scent of warm baby was better than baked bread or chocolate any day. She rubbed her palm lightly over the thick crop of black hair swished to a wave on top of his head. “So much hair! And it sticks straight up. Adorable. How old is he?”
“Uh, about four months?” Sunday leaned against the counter, her T-shirt falling from one bare shoulder and her hair a little tangled as if she’d been through a tough day. Or she simply wasn’t a fashion queen and didn’t often bother to comb her hair.
“Did you and Dean adopt?” Mireio knew, from Valor, that Sunday couldn’t have kids. Well, she could, but a cat shifter simply could not make a baby with a werewolf. Just didn’t work that way.
“No. He’s uh...” Sunday straightened and scratched her head. “You don’t know who Peanut is?”
“Should I?”
The front door opened and Lars and Dean wandered in, chuckling about almost dropping the steel beam, but finally getting it loaded into the back of Dean’s truck. Lars took one look at Mireio holding the baby and activated the nervous beard swipe.
“Hey,” she offered. “Isn’t he the cutest little button ever? He’s called Peanut.”
“I know that.” Lars exchanged glances with Sunday.
“I’ll leave you two.” The cat shifter left the kitchen swiftly, grabbing her husband’s hand and heading toward the front door. Dean protested with a “What’s up?” as his wife tugged him outside.
“What was that about?” Mireio bounced as she held the baby. It was a natural motion, instilled from years of babysitting. His plump little body felt so good snuggled against her breast and neck. Someday she would have a million kids. Or at the very least three or four. “She must be babysitting for someone, huh?”
“She is.” Lars smoothed his hand over the baby’s hair. “Peanut is mine, Mireio.”
“What?”
“He’s my son.”
Chapter 5
Mireio blinked a few times, then realized Lars was talking about the baby she cuddled against her shoulder. He held out his arms for the boy, and she handed him over. The big hulking werewolf gently cradled the sleeping infant in his arms as if he were a wise old granny who had been doing so for generations. He stroked the baby’s hair and kissed his forehead.
“He’s a sweetie,” she offered because she was taken aback. But then she realized she was only surprised because she’d never expected such from Lars. “You’re not married, are you?” came out too quickly.
He snickered and began to rock the baby with a gentle bounce. “No.”
“Good. I mean—well, I don’t date married men.”
“I would never be so cruel to another woman. He’s my boy, Mireio. I wasn’t going to tell you like this. And I thought I’d wait a bit longer. But when you suggested I show you my place I figured now was as good a time as any. If you’re not into kids, that’s cool. At least you found out early on and can walk away.”
“No.” She touched his arm, and tapped the baby’s tiny fingers. “I adore babies. And I’m fine with this. I mean, we’re not lovers or anything. We’ve only seen each other a few times.”
“Sure.” But his wince told her he had high hopes for what might happen between them.
And she did too. Did she still have such high hopes with the introduction of this little number? It shouldn’t change things. This was all a bit sudden and new. But if the guy had a baby, then she could deal.
“Let’s take things as they come, okay?” She waited for Lars to meet her eyes. And when he did, she winked at him. “You should probably get this little guy home and tucked in.”
“Yes, and he needs to be changed too. I uh...” He grimaced again. “I took the car seat out for our date tonight because, well, like I’ve said, I wasn’t sure when or how to spring this on you. Usually I walk through the forest to drop him off and pick him up. Would you mind driving the truck to my cabin? It’s just a winding road from here.”